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by David P. Greisman - Do not read this as an indictment of Arturo Gatti and Virgil Hill.
Do not see this as an attempt to discredit either man’s accomplishments.
Hill followed his Olympic silver medal with a pro career he should be proud of: 10 defenses of a light heavyweight title during his first reign, and another 10 defenses in the division during his second reign, including a very brief period in which he was seen as the legitimate, lineal champion. In his later years, he twice would hold a cruiserweight belt.
Gatti had one of the most storied careers in boxing, a career in which the two title belts he held matter much less than the fights he was in. The fact that he was so flawed helped make him so fan-friendly, but it was his other attributes that ensured he would be that way. He could absorb an inhuman amount of punishment, seeking to use his own powerful hands as an equalizer, carrying through the pain thanks to an abundance of heart. He was in four "Ring Magazine" fights of the year and shared the ring with Micky Ward in one of boxing’s best trilogies.
They deserve to be lauded and praised. Gatti in particular will be remembered for generations to come, spoken of by fathers and grandfathers recalling his battles with the same twinkle in their eyes as with those who reminisced about Carmen Basilio.
Gatti and Hill should not be inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame.
They will be, though.
Gatti, Hill and former 108-pound titleholder Myung-Woo Yuh were the three "modern" boxers selected for induction into Canastota in June 2013; they were voted for this past October, with the announcement made last week.
Do not look at this article as an overreaction to these two fighters’ coming inductions.
But the selections of Arturo Gatti and Virgil Hill to be enshrined in Canastota are symbolic of larger problems with the process, a sign that some changes need to be made. [Click Here To Read More]
Do not see this as an attempt to discredit either man’s accomplishments.
Hill followed his Olympic silver medal with a pro career he should be proud of: 10 defenses of a light heavyweight title during his first reign, and another 10 defenses in the division during his second reign, including a very brief period in which he was seen as the legitimate, lineal champion. In his later years, he twice would hold a cruiserweight belt.
Gatti had one of the most storied careers in boxing, a career in which the two title belts he held matter much less than the fights he was in. The fact that he was so flawed helped make him so fan-friendly, but it was his other attributes that ensured he would be that way. He could absorb an inhuman amount of punishment, seeking to use his own powerful hands as an equalizer, carrying through the pain thanks to an abundance of heart. He was in four "Ring Magazine" fights of the year and shared the ring with Micky Ward in one of boxing’s best trilogies.
They deserve to be lauded and praised. Gatti in particular will be remembered for generations to come, spoken of by fathers and grandfathers recalling his battles with the same twinkle in their eyes as with those who reminisced about Carmen Basilio.
Gatti and Hill should not be inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame.
They will be, though.
Gatti, Hill and former 108-pound titleholder Myung-Woo Yuh were the three "modern" boxers selected for induction into Canastota in June 2013; they were voted for this past October, with the announcement made last week.
Do not look at this article as an overreaction to these two fighters’ coming inductions.
But the selections of Arturo Gatti and Virgil Hill to be enshrined in Canastota are symbolic of larger problems with the process, a sign that some changes need to be made. [Click Here To Read More]
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